Jo Leinen (S&D). – Mr President, I would like to ask you to make contact with the Commission and Council in order to push for the refusal of the accreditation of the designated US Ambassador, Ted Malloch. Mr Malloch has shown extreme hostility towards the European Union and the core idea of European integration. I think he should be persona non grata in Brussels.

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (PPE). – Mr President, I would like to share the concern of many of us at the resumption of massive heavy shelling in eastern Ukraine, where nine people have been killed, 26 wounded, thousands of civilians have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands of civilians are without basic supplies. I don’t know if it is a coincidence that this weekend, on Saturday, President Putin and President Trump had a phone call, but the EU should react. I am happy that the High Representative is here with us to call for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid and to restore the political process.

Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR). – Mr President, I would like to raise the issue already mentioned by Ms Corazza Bildt. Unfortunately, the situation in eastern Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Avdiyivka, the destruction of critical infrastructure and the deaths of civilians require our debate here in the plenary. Therefore, I propose to add this point to the agenda. Please vote on this.

Peter Lundgren (EFDD). – Mr President, today a new item will be added to the agenda: managing the migration in the Mediterranean. With regard to this proposal, the EFDD Group would highlight that our member, Beatrix von Storch, already tabled a major interpellation on managing the migration in the Mediterranean. This issue is already in the pipeline for parliamentary follow-up with the High Representative. Mr President, could you please confirm that the major interpellation tabled by the EFDD Group shall not be dismissed on the grounds that a debate on a similar issue is taking place today?

Nigel Farage (EFDD). – Mr President, can I respond to the somewhat bizarre Communist intervention from the German Member Jo Leinen who wants us to ban and bar … (Loud objections, catcalls and whistles from the floor) … Oh, isn’t this just the European House of democracy! So you shout me down before I’ve even said anything? Well, Mr President, these people’s minds aren’t very open. Can I just point out that it would be somewhat bizarre to bar and ban Ted Roosevelt Malloch from any engagement with the European Union, given that he hasn’t even been appointed yet.

Ana Gomes (S&D). – Mr President, besides supporting my colleague, Jo Leinen, in his request that the person designated as Ambassador to the EU will not be accepted, I want to hear you, Mr President – as President of this Parliament and on behalf of this Parliament – to clearly condemn the measures that President Trump has announced in the US banning Muslims from certain countries as illegal, against international law and our principles as allies, racist, xenophobic, discriminatory and inviting terror reactions.

Janice Atkinson (ENF). – Mr President, can I just say that we have not seen the like of this outpouring of liberal left grief. Were you outpouring, were you marching on the streets when President Obama proposed this ban on these 11 countries? No. It is a 90-day moratorium. Were you marching on the streets? You were not.

Maria João Rodrigues, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, the S&D position is in favour of having a plenary discussion about democracy and justice in Romania. and as this is being proposed in particular by the ALDE Group. We also think that we need to clarify facts by complementing this debate in plenary with a proper discussion in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. We feel that we should also send a fact—finding mission to Romania to check what is really happening.

We consider that it is particularly important to clarify these points: not only the purpose of the legislative package adopted yesterday, but also the way the prison system works in Romania, as well as the way the judicial system works. So this is our proposal: a debate in plenary, a debate in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and a fact-finding mission to Romania.

Maria João Rodrigues, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, I agree with the ALDE proposal concerning the debate in plenary on the theme of democracy and justice in Romania. We agree with this proposal, and add to it a proper discussion in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs afterwards, as well as a fact—finding mission to Romania.

Maria João Rodrigues, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, we agree with the debate in plenary but we want to add two other initiatives: a debate in the LIBE Committee and a fact—finding mission to the country itself. This is our proposal.

Rebecca Harms (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, I think Ms Fotyga had an amendment to our agenda and order of business. She asked, taking up Ms Corazza Bildt’s proposal, to put the Ukrainian crisis and the escalation in Avdiyivka on our agenda in this mini-session. According to our working methods, if there is such a request, we should vote on it.